Opistophthalmus spp.
Identity confidence: provisional. This is a genus, group, or trade name rather than a confirmed species. Treat it as the closest match we can stand behind, and use the more conservative end of any range.
African Burrowing Scorpions: Advanced Care Guide
Keeper Snapshot: Southern African burrowing scorpions: O. glabrifrons (shiny burrowing scorpion), O. carinatus and relatives: stocky, defensive, will sting, with mild-to-moderate venom. They want a deep, packable clay-sand substrate they can excavate. Adults reach about 4-5 inches.
Group: Industry StaplesDifficulty: Spice 3: IntermediateSetup: Arid burrowing terrestrial (deep clay-sand)Handling: Not recommended
Use This Guide Safely
- Confirm the exact animal. Match this guide to the species, locality, size, and life stage on your label. If the ID is uncertain, use the more conservative part of the range and ask before changing the setup.
- Change one thing at a time. Treat temperature and humidity as target zones, then watch posture, burrowing, drinking, feeding, and molt behavior before making another adjustment.
- Respect the handling boundary. If the guide says no handling, fast, defensive, or medically significant, plan transfers with catch cups, locked lids, and no bare hands. For serious bites, stings, or symptoms, seek emergency medical care.
Quick Snapshot
| Temperature | 75-85°F |
|---|---|
| Humidity | Low ambient (35-50%) with good airflow; dry surface, faintly damp burrow depth |
| Setup Type | Arid burrowing terrestrial (deep clay-sand) |
| Substrate | Deep clay-sand substrate, 6-8 in, packed enough to hold a burrow; a starter hole |
| Feeding | Small roaches/crickets weekly |
| Care Difficulty | Spice 3: Intermediate |
| Handling | Not recommended |
Humidity zones: Very Low under 30% - Low 30-60% - Low-Moderate 40-70% - Moderate 60-80% - Moderate-High 70-85% - High 80%+ - Very High 90%+
Enclosure Format / Size Class
- Baby Buddy: secure starter enclosure for 2i-3i instars (escape-proof ventilation only)
- Burrow Buddy: burrow setup for juveniles and the smaller species
- Larger terrestrial setup for the bigger species' adults
Warnings First
- Defensive: will pinch and sting; venom mild-to-moderate, not harmless
- Needs a deep, packable clay-sand substrate it can dig: loose sand collapses
- Keep dry; secure lid
- A 6 to 8 inch burrow has no passive air exchange at the bottom. Cross ventilation at substrate level is what keeps the deep end of that tunnel from going stale.
Simple Care
- Deep clay-sand substrate (6-8 in) packed enough to hold a burrow; start a hole.
- Cross ventilation low on two opposite walls so the burrow layer keeps exchanging air.
- Dry, with a water dish. Put pebbles in it so small instars cannot drown.
- A secure lid; expect a defensive digger, not a display-friendly animal.
Advanced Keeper Notes
Enclosure & Microclimate
- O. glabrifrons (shiny burrowing scorpion), O. carinatus and others: Southern African savanna. The key is substrate: a deep, packable clay-and-sand mix the animal can tunnel through and shore up; loose pure sand won't hold.
- Dry, with a water dish. A secure lid matters: these are stronger and more defensive than they look.
- The deep burrow that makes this genus work is also the thing that needs ventilation planned around it. A 6 to 8 inch tunnel exchanges almost no air at its base on its own, and that base naturally sits a little cooler and damper than the surface. Vents low on two opposite walls, at or just above the substrate line, keep air crossing the burrow layer so that pocket stays fresh instead of stagnant. Lid-only venting dries the surface while the deep end holds still, damp air against the animal.
- On a dry species the ventilation and humidity trade is in your favor. Good airflow holds ambient at 35 to 50% by itself, so the water dish is the only input you manage and there is no reason to restrict vents.
- Judge by hand rather than by gauge. The surface should read dry and the substrate should stay packable but not wet at depth, holding shape when squeezed with no water released. A burrow that stays visibly damp weeks after a spill means the enclosure is under-ventilated.
- Keep the water dish shallow and drop pebbles or coarse grit in so the waterline sits below the rim. Small instars drown in open dishes, and on a deep-substrate setup a spilled dish also softens the burrow, so the stones help twice.
- Do not mist the surface. The microclimate this genus wants is the burrow itself, and deep packable substrate is what creates it. If you want to offer a damp option, let the dish overflow slightly into one corner and let it dry back.
Feeding, Growth & Maintenance
- Feeding: small roaches or crickets around body length, smaller for juveniles. Young eat every 4-7 days, adults every 1-2 weeks; remove uneaten feeders, especially before a molt: a loose cricket will chew a molting scorpion.
- Growth: matures over several molts, then stops growing. Molting usually happens down in the burrow; if it's sealed itself in and off food, leave it be, and never offer prey to a soft, pale, recently-molted animal.
- Maintenance: provide deep, packable substrate it can tunnel in, and don't collapse the burrow to 'check on it'; spot-clean prey remains and boluses near the burrow mouth. Keep it on the dry side with a small water dish. Defensive when exposed (it pinches hard and will sting), so keep maintenance and transfers tool-based; venom is mild-to-moderate but it's still a no-handling animal.
Possible Origin / Range
- Likely native range: Southern Africa: savanna and arid scrub.
- Habitat translation: A deep, packable clay-sand substrate that holds a burrow, kept dry, with a starter hole, a water dish, and a secure lid.
Advanced Keeper Details
- Adult size ~4-5 in. Venom mild-to-moderate; the bigger hazard during maintenance is the powerful pincers.
- Largely a 'pet burrow' once settled: you maintain the substrate microclimate and see the animal at night or at feeding.
- Anchor any heavy decor to the floor before adding substrate; an excavating Opistophthalmus will undermine it.